Pyro's Take:

We knew all along that too much stock was put in the NFL Combine, Slaton is a beast and will be receiving full time carries. Draft with confidence.

Pyro's Take:

Curtis was an outstanding target for McNabb in 2007 in gaining over 1,100 yards, the last time an Eagles receiver has done so. However, Kevin was hampered by a sports hernia for most of last year, and is now a 31-year old damaged receiver at a crowded position in Philly fighting to keep his status. At this point, Curtis is still the starter opposite DeSean Jackson, but he's going to have to hold off rookie first-round draft pick Jeremy Maclin the whole year if he wants to be fantasy relevant in 2009.

Pyro's Take:

Curtis was an outstanding target for McNabb in 2007 in gaining over 1,100 yards, the last time an Eagles receiver has done so. However, Kevin was hampered by a sports hernia for most of last year, and is now a 31-year old damaged receiver at a crowded position in Philly fighting to keep his status. At this point, Curtis is still the starter opposite DeSean Jackson, but he's going to have to hold off rookie first-round draft pick Jeremy Maclin the whole year if he wants to be fantasy relevant in 2009.

Pyro's Take:

In real life, that's all fine and dandy for the Redskins, but in terms of fantasy, Moss is as inconsistent as they come. He'll continue to be a risky pick on draft day, so our advice is that if you're debating between Moss and someone else with your next pick, save yourself the headache and go with the other guy.

Pyro's Take:

Sanchez is still a bit ripe, so the Jets need to give him a little room to grow. As for who is going to win the starting job for this team, we really couldn't say just yet. Sanchez might be the future, but Clemens has the poise right now to run the ship. This battle might go down to the wire, so the next couple of preseason games should be kept a close eye on. We'll continue to update the progress of this situation as it develops.

Pyro's Take:

Addai and Brown will be running as a RBBC this year, with Addai getting the slightly larger load. Make sure you handcuff these two to each other in your upcoming draft.

Pyro's Take:

Addai and Brown will be running as a RBBC this year, with Addai getting the slightly larger load. Make sure you handcuff these two to each other in your upcoming draft.

Pyro's Take:

We haven't caught wind of how much Ochenta y Cinco paid his coaches to let him take over the kicking chores Thursday night, but we're pretty sure you'll be seeing head coach Marvin Lewis driving a new car to practice tomorrow. "Esteban' Ochocinco" was already high on our draft sheet this year, but if he continues to nail extra points for the team as well, he just might challenge AP "Purple Jesus" for the top spot in our rankings.

Pyro's Take:

Maclin is a special talent that will find his way into the first-team offense at some point, but will be used more as a punt/kickoff returner to start off the year. He's worth a chance on draft day, but don't expect much out of him until around mid-season.

Pyro's Take:

Whether Stevie actually plays or not, this is still great news for the Panther faithful. Smith has been held out of contact drills since hurting his shoulder back on August 10th, so he likely won't be playing, but just having him back with the team going to games is a step in the right direction. Keep Smith marked as the sixth WR coming off the boards on draft day.

Pyro's Take:

Palmer is the cog that makes the Bengal machine run, so we believe the coaches almost have to baby the star QB in this situation. If Palmer gets himself hurt any worse and misses time because of it, you can say good-bye to the Cincinnati 2009 season. Assuming Palmer doesn't play and continues to rehab his ankle, you can feel comfortable keeping him as the 7th QB off your boards come draft day.

Pyro's Take:

Pierre Thomas made the start and did his best impression of Bush, catching three balls for 27 yards, one of them for a 9-yard TD. It's no secret that Reggie has a tough time staying on the field, and this preseason has done nothing to debunk that thought. Bush's talent is undeniable, but his injury-prone status continues to make him a very tough pick on draft day, especially with the emergence of Pierre Thomas.

Pyro's Take:

Pierre Thomas made the start and did his best impression of Bush, catching three balls for 27 yards, one of them for a 9-yard TD. It's no secret that Reggie has a tough time staying on the field, and this preseason has done nothing to debunk that thought. Bush's talent is undeniable, but his injury-prone status continues to make him a very tough pick on draft day, especially with the emergence of Pierre Thomas.

Pyro's Take:

Graham would have liked to play in the game, if only to keep newly signed RB Derrick Ward away from his starting job. Ward ended up having a solid game rushing five times for 40 yards. This will still be a pure RBBC situation throughout the year, with the edge going to Ward for touches and yards while the TDs will sway in Graham's favor. Make sure to handcuff these two together come draft day.

Pyro's Take:

Graham would have liked to play in the game, if only to keep newly signed RB Derrick Ward away from his starting job. Ward ended up having a solid game rushing five times for 40 yards. This will still be a pure RBBC situation throughout the year, with the edge going to Ward for touches and yards while the TDs will sway in Graham's favor. Make sure to handcuff these two together come draft day.

Pyro's Take:

Ronnie put up 74 yards of combined offense in just one quarter of action against the Carolina first-team defense. It looks as if the reports about Brown being back to form are true, which doesn't bode well for the 32-year old Ricky Williams this season. These two should still be handcuffed together on draft day, but it looks as if the Miami RBBC might be leaning a little more towards Brown's favor this season.

Pyro's Take:

Ronnie put up 74 yards of combined offense in just one quarter of action against the Carolina first-team defense. It looks as if the reports about Brown being back to form are true, which doesn't bode well for the 32-year old Ricky Williams this season. These two should still be handcuffed together on draft day, but it looks as if the Miami RBBC might be leaning a little more towards Brown's favor this season.

Pyro's Take:

The move isn't much of a surprise seeing that Garcia was injured for most of training camp, thus never getting the chance to challenge JaMarcus for the job. Russell seems to be improving, but we're pretty sure a healthy Garcia would have beaten out the overrated #1 pick for the job if he had more of a chance. Even if Garcia takes back the job at some point during the year, we still wouldn't put much stock into either players fantasy season, especially with the crap WR corps the Raiders throw out there each week.

Pyro's Take:

The move isn't much of a surprise seeing that Garcia was injured for most of training camp, thus never getting the chance to challenge JaMarcus for the job. Russell seems to be improving, but we're pretty sure a healthy Garcia would have beaten out the overrated #1 pick for the job if he had more of a chance. Even if Garcia takes back the job at some point during the year, we still wouldn't put much stock into either players fantasy season, especially with the crap WR corps the Raiders throw out there each week.

Pyro's Take:

The Eagles and coach Andy Reid will likely keep Westy from live-action until the first game of the regular season. Westbrook turns 30-years old a week before the season begins, so saving every inch they can out of their star RB would be the smartest move in our book. Westy seems to be coming along just fine, so feel free to keep him up on your charts as a solid RB2 come draft day.

Pyro's Take:

Coach Tom Cable said earlier in camp that the third preseason game would closely resemble what the Raiders would be coming out with in Week 1 of the regular season. Whether that means Michael Bush would be the team's starting RB, or if it only means he would be showing the general rotation of backs is unknown. We'll see on Saturday just how much Cable is willing to reveal. As far as fantasy goes, McFadden is still the guy to draft first on this team, but absolutely must be handcuffed to Bush as both backs could see close to an equal amount of time.

Pyro's Take:

Coach Tom Cable said earlier in camp that the third preseason game would closely resemble what the Raiders would be coming out with in Week 1 of the regular season. Whether that means Michael Bush would be the team's starting RB, or if it only means he would be showing the general rotation of backs is unknown. We'll see on Saturday just how much Cable is willing to reveal. As far as fantasy goes, McFadden is still the guy to draft first on this team, but absolutely must be handcuffed to Bush as both backs could see close to an equal amount of time.

Pyro's Take:

Coach Tom Cable said earlier in camp that the third preseason game would closely resemble what the Raiders would be coming out with in Week 1 of the regular season. Whether that means Michael Bush would be the team's starting RB, or if it only means he would be showing the general rotation of backs is unknown. We'll see on Saturday just how much Cable is willing to reveal. As far as fantasy goes, McFadden is still the guy to draft first on this team, but absolutely must be handcuffed to Bush as both backs could see close to an equal amount of time.

Pyro's Take:

This really is a sad state of affairs, as both the 49ers and football fans alike are anxiously awaiting the beginning of ultra-talented Michael Crabtree's career. We are of the belief that a deal will be struck before the start of the 2009 season, but each day that goes by lessens the impact that Crabtree will have this year. Keep bumping the unsigned rookie down your cheat sheets, as he may even enter himself back into the 2010 draft if the Niners can't meet his demands.

Pyro's Take:

The RBBC rotation may very well work out fine for the Bucs in real life, but will make calling out Ward, Graham, or Williams' names a scary proposition on draft day for fantasy owners. If you can't help yourself and need to have one of these guys on your team, make sure you have at least one more spot on your roster for the other as handcuffing these guys together is an absolute necessity.

Pyro's Take:

The RBBC rotation may very well work out fine for the Bucs in real life, but will make calling out Ward, Graham, or Williams' names a scary proposition on draft day for fantasy owners. If you can't help yourself and need to have one of these guys on your team, make sure you have at least one more spot on your roster for the other as handcuffing these guys together is an absolute necessity.

Pyro's Take:

Davis knows people in Crabtree's camp, so there might very well be some truth to this report. It would be a shame to miss out on watching the super-talented wide receiver this year, but the 49ers are taking the correct stance for themselves and for the league. If just one player upsets the rolling pay-scale for rookies, the NFL and teams will start to see multiple player holdouts every year from then on. Until Crabtree learns the effect his demands have on the rest of football, continue to bump him down your draft day rankings.

Pyro's Take:

The role Mendenhall will be playing this year has yet to be determined, as FWP is still the starter and Mewelde Moore the third-down back. Both Parker and Mendenhall are coming off of injury-plagued seasons, and though Parker will start games in the backfield, the Steelers will likely use these two in a RBBC this season. Mendenhall remains a necessary handcuff to Parker on draft day.

Pyro's Take:

The role Mendenhall will be playing this year has yet to be determined, as FWP is still the starter and Mewelde Moore the third-down back. Both Parker and Mendenhall are coming off of injury-plagued seasons, and though Parker will start games in the backfield, the Steelers will likely use these two in a RBBC this season. Mendenhall remains a necessary handcuff to Parker on draft day.

Pyro's Take:

This decision should not be a surprise to anyone in the galaxy, but what still shocks us to our core is that Leftwich didn't beat out McCown sooner. True, Leftwich has never lived up to his 2003 7th-overall draft pick status, but to not be able to wipe the floor with Luke McCown is staggering and leaves us doubting Leftwich's abilities more than ever.

Pyro's Take:

This decision should not be a surprise to anyone in the galaxy, but what still shocks us to our core is that Leftwich didn't beat out McCown sooner. True, Leftwich has never lived up to his 2003 7th-overall draft pick status, but to not be able to wipe the floor with Luke McCown is staggering and leaves us doubting Leftwich's abilities more than ever.

Pyro's Take:

The one person who really shouldn't be surprised by the move is Kevin O'Connell himself. The Patriots 2008 3rd-round draft choice has been absolutely awful this preseason, and he knows it. We are guessing Tom Brady's recent injury is nothing worth being concerned about, as the move now leaves just Andrew Walter and undrafted free agent Brian Hoyer backing him up.

Pyro's Take:

From what we can tell, the Bears got the better end of the deal thus far, but it still cost them their immediate future to get him. However, if Cutler keeps this up, Bears fans will quickly forget about those first-round draft picks it took to get their star.

Pyro's Take:

The Panthers have been doing their best to keep quiet about the injury, so it's possible Stewart was out getting a second opinion concerning his ongoing Achilles problem. The further this situation gets stretched out, the more we have to bump Stewart down and Mike Goodson up in our rankings. Keep a close eye on this situation and be ready to grab the rookie Goodson as your handcuff to DeAngelo on draft day.

Pyro's Take:

The Panthers have been doing their best to keep quiet about the injury, so it's possible Stewart was out getting a second opinion concerning his ongoing Achilles problem. The further this situation gets stretched out, the more we have to bump Stewart down and Mike Goodson up in our rankings. Keep a close eye on this situation and be ready to grab the rookie Goodson as your handcuff to DeAngelo on draft day.

Pyro's Take:

This is a smart move by the Falcons coaching staff. If they want to keep Michael Turner strong throughout the year, they'll need Norwood's services more than usual to do so. His sitting out the game is precautionary and he should still be handcuffed to Turner in your draft.

Pyro's Take:

It's good to see the electric rookie back on the field, but there's still little to no chance he'll see action in Thursday's preseason finale. However, Knowshon should be ready to go for the season opener against the Bengals on September 13th, so have no fear drafting him as a low-end RB2 in your draft.

Pyro's Take:

Jordan may be back with the team, but the question is for how long? With first-round draft pick Moreno now back, Peyton Hillis running well, and Correll Buckhalter the current starter, Jordan would seem to be the odd man out. We'll see how the always crowded Denver backfield shakes out in the coming week.

Pyro's Take:

Jordan may be back with the team, but the question is for how long? With first-round draft pick Moreno now back, Peyton Hillis running well, and Correll Buckhalter the current starter, Jordan would seem to be the odd man out. We'll see how the always crowded Denver backfield shakes out in the coming week.

Pyro's Take:

Jordan may be back with the team, but the question is for how long? With first-round draft pick Moreno now back, Peyton Hillis running well, and Correll Buckhalter the current starter, Jordan would seem to be the odd man out. We'll see how the always crowded Denver backfield shakes out in the coming week.

Pyro's Take:

Jordan may be back with the team, but the question is for how long? With first-round draft pick Moreno now back, Peyton Hillis running well, and Correll Buckhalter the current starter, Jordan would seem to be the odd man out. We'll see how the always crowded Denver backfield shakes out in the coming week.

Pyro's Take:

If Marshall could ever get his head on straight, this would be a huge addition for rookie QB Mark Sanchez. The Jets, however, would not only have to give up at least a first-round draft pick (which they would be hesitant to do), but would also have to work out a new deal with the disgruntled Marshall. Is dealing with the troubled receiver worth it?

Pyro's Take:

The Titans would love to have their off-season addition healthy for the first game of the season, if only to take a little pressure off of rookie WR Kenny Britt. Keep Washington in the back of your mind on draft day as a late-round value pick.

Pyro's Take:

This is an unusual move for a QB that you want to develop and hope will be your starter the next year. Third-stringers rarely get any practice time, which is extremely important for a QB to have. Either way, with just Byron Leftwich and Luke McCown ahead of him, we believe Freeman will take over the position sooner than later.

Pyro's Take:

This is your No. 1 draft pick, an electric young running back with a promising future, and you are considering tearing up his knee in a preseason game? Damn straight it's not the smartest decision Josh. Work him in practice and get him ready for Week 1, period. It's great to hear that he COULD play, but that doesn't mean he should.

Pyro's Take:

The injury, was sustained on August 7th and was supposed to keep him out 4-6 weeks. If Donnie fell to you later on in your draft, you should be getting great value out of your pick. If you haven't drafted yet, boost him back up on your cheat sheet.

Pyro's Take:

The Bucs didn't want to keep four QBs on the roster, so trading away the QB with the least potential makes sense. Whether Josh Freeman or Josh Johnson becomes the backup to Byron Leftwich remains to be seen, but we're betting on the rookie Freeman.

Pyro's Take:

The Bucs didn't want to keep four QBs on the roster, so trading away the QB with the least potential makes sense. Whether Josh Freeman or Josh Johnson becomes the backup to Byron Leftwich remains to be seen, but we're betting on the rookie Freeman.

Pyro's Take:

The injury isn't a concern, but LT21 starting to look his age is. It seems like the Chargers may go with a RBBC from here on out as Darren Sproles and Tomlinson each got 14 touches in the game. We hope you did the right thing in your fantasy draft and handcuffed these two guys together.

Stay classy, San Diego.

Pyro's Take:

The injury isn't a concern, but LT21 starting to look his age is. It seems like the Chargers may go with a RBBC from here on out as Darren Sproles and Tomlinson each got 14 touches in the game. We hope you did the right thing in your fantasy draft and handcuffed these two guys together.

Stay classy, San Diego.

Pyro's Take:

Running backs coach Bobby Turner has nothing but love for Moreno, stating that the rookie is the "complete package" and that "he could do everything" when asked about the first-round draft pick. Moreno could be in line for a breakout game here soon, possibly against the Browns this week.

Pyro's Take:

With Chad Pennington lost for the year, the Dolphins needed to do something, and with the free agents floating around out there, one can't blame them for opting for a trade. Thigpen will be the backup to newly anointed starter Chad Henne and has no affect on fantasy football.

Pyro's Take:

Robiskie was touted as the most NFL-ready receiver in the draft, so it's about time the Browns give him a shot. Robiskie, however, still has no fantasy football value.
Side-note: For all the crap moves the Big Man-gina has pulled off, this trade at least makes up for some of it.

Pyro's Take:

Stafford hasn't even been cleared to run yet, so sit him on your fantasy football bench if you were playing him for any reason. Daunte Culpepper will get the start, but don't even consider him a pickup for any reason.

Pyro's Take:

Stafford hasn't even been cleared to run yet, so sit him on your fantasy football bench if you were playing him for any reason. Daunte Culpepper will get the start, but don't even consider him a pickup for any reason.

Pyro's Take:

Not that Thigpen is a total slouch, but the Chiefs should be happy to have picked up an extra fifth-round pick for the guy. This, of course, has no bearing on fantasy football whatsoever.

Pyro's Take:

If there's swelling, he'll be shut down again and won't play Sunday. If the knee reacts well, he'll continue to practice and go from there. It should also be noted that Stafford was seen to have some mobility, but that "he didn't look totally comfortable or fluid" during his individual drills.
We'll update you throughout the week, but keep him on your fantasy football bench until otherwise noted.

Pyro's Take:

Through his first eight games, Harvin has 64 touches (eight runs, 28 catches and 28 kickoff returns) and is tied for 35th in the NFL with 46 targets despite being the WR3 on his team (one target behind Bernard Berrian). On top of all that, Percy also says that his health is "great" right now, so his production doesn't look to stop anytime soon. Keep playing him as a WR3 on your fantasy football team and continue to reap the rewards.

Pyro's Take:

Lewis also went on to say that though he is disappointed with the Browns 1-7 record this year, that would not be the reason he is retiring.
Our guess is that he is forced to draft and start himself in his fantasy football league and is sick of losing because of it.

Pyro's Take:

Our guess is that coach Tom Cable is just lighting a fire under his ass and that the team is not giving up on him just yet. However, they probably should as he looks like one of the worst starting QBs ever to lace 'em up in the NFL. We'd have a tough time telling you to keep him on your fantasy football team even in dynasty leagues at this point.

Pyro's Take:

CJ28 earned 38.5 votes out of 50, while Drew Brees came in second with 9, Peyton Manning in third with 1.5, and Philip Rivers in fourth with 1. Johnson was ridiculous this year putting up just the sixth 2,000-yard rushing season, 16 TDs, and 11 straight 100-yard games (including 6 straight of 125+ yards). He has pretty much established himself as a top-3 pick in the 2010 fantasy draft, and likely will be the consensus No. 1.

Pyro's Take:

Considering Jones came so cheap, this is basically a no-risk/high-reward signing for the Bengals. With the unfortunate death of Chris Henry, and with Laveranues Coles likely on the way out, Cinci needed something to happen with their receiving corps this off-season. The signing alos leaves the Bengals with no interest in bringing in Dante Stallworth, though they'll still probably draft a receiver in the first 4-5 rounds.

Pyro's Take:

Not to be too harsh on the Ravens front office or anything, but what the hell are you thinking? Throwing around a million bucks at a guy who was more of a detriment to former teams than an asset, isn't really the best way to go about improving a major position of need.
However, this won't be the last move they make to upgrade their receiving corps, so Balty fans can at least take that to bed with them until the draft in late April.